Internal-combustion rotary engine.



I c. L. RAGOT. INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1911. I mem-,ed Feen 24, 1914,

2 BHEBTB-BHBET 1.

' C. L. RAGOT.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION' FILED JULY 14, 1911.

Lm, Patenteweb. 24, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATT/URNEYS lli STATE@ l CHARLES LOUIS RAGOT, 0F IVIILFORD, PENNSWLVNIA, ASSIGNOlEt OI. (1HE-THERE 'IO LOUIS F. RAGOT, 0F MILFOR'ID, FENNSYLVANIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ItTAIZLY ENGINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Paten-ted Iieb.. gli., Mita..

Application led .Tuly 1.4, 1911. Serial No. 638,496.

-tion rotary engines admitting of general use, and more particularly to a type of such engine which, because ot' its lightness, strength, smooth running, reliability, Simplicity and various other qualities, enable it to bc used in connection with flying machines.

More particularly stated my improved internal combustion rotary engine is a device by aid whereof I seek to accomplish the following purpose, to witz-I To utilize the explosive force of explosions by directing them against pistons which are provided with portions engaging the inner surtace of a stator consisting of an velliptical track which guide the pistons to perform four cycles in one revolution and serve as a cam for turning a rotor having radial cylinders in which the pistons travel. II. To dispose passages in a revolving central drum coacting with parts in a stationary stator frame to introduce explosive charges, ignite and scavenge them. III. rIo enable a single sparln plug and asingle ignition chamber to be used in connection with a number of separate cylinders. IV. To provide improved means for cooling the rotor and particularly the parts thereof immediately affected by .the explosions. V. 'To

facilitate the circulation of water through the rotor in order to etiect the cooling of the same and parts associated with it. VI. To use ball bearings and parts associated therewith to Aalleviate the friction between the outer ends of the pistons and the adjacent .track Yof elliptical form. VII. To improve the various parts for the purpose of promoting simplicity, lightness, smooth running, strength and durability coupled with eliiciency in adapting the device for the purpose for which it is intended.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciication in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is an elevation showing the elliptical stator frame and the rotor carrying the cylinders and-revolubly mounted within said fre-me, the face spider of the frame, however, being removedfFig. 2 is a substantially central vertical section through the engine as shown in Iiig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail showing, in cross section,y

the end view of the gas chambers in the rotor drum and the relative position ofthe parts t'or admitting, tiring' and releasing the I gases. Fig. t is a detail showing a part of the water extractor for circulating cold water through the rotor and water cooling radiator K A stator frame 6 having generally an elliptical term is provided with bracket arms 7 by laid 'whereoi2 it may be mounted upon the framework, say, of a flying machine. rIhe stator frame 6 is stationary and is provided with lspokes 8 integral with' it,

lthese spokes being connected rigidly with ai barrelS-, the form of which can be understood Vfrom Fig. 2. The end of'the barrel 9 oppositemthe spokes 8 is enlarged, and

connected with this end 'is a bearing ring 10 constituting in eiiect, a ball race.

A propeller is shown at 11 and is provided centrally with an openin 12. The propeller carries a cap 13 whic tits over the opening 12 and is held in position by aid of bolts 14 which extend through the propeller and are located upon opposite sides of the opening 12. A bearing ring 15 is disposed in juxtaposition to the bearing ring 10, and between these two bearing rings are.rolling bodies 16 constituting, with the bearing rings, a ball bearing. Encircled bythe barrel 9 and the bearing ring 10 is a sleeve 17 of cylindrical form which is fixed relatively to the stator frame 6. Inside this sleeve and concentric to the same is a sleeve 18 which is carried upon a revoluble drum 10. This drum is provided with a neck Q() threaded externally and fitted into a thimble 21 carried by the bearing ring.15

and integral therewith, this thimble being threaded internally. The propeller l1,bearing ring 15, including its thimble 21, and the drum 1S) including its neck 20 and the sleeve 18, are all adapted to turn as a unit relative to the bearing sleeve 17 the bearing ring 10 and the spider 8 of the stationary stator frame. The drum 19 is provided with a number of cylinders 22 all exactly alike, and in this instance integral with each other, these cylinders extending radially outward from the-drum. Each cylinder 22, at its inner end, merges into a substantially horn-shaped wall 23 provided with a passage 23a' having substantially the form indicated in Fig. 2, the inner end of the passage, however', being flared slightly in the direction of the general plaine of'rotation, as indicated at 23D in Fig. 3, The'druni 19 is further provided with a convex portion 24, the latter having a cylindrical extension 25 and a stuiing box 26.

Extending through the stuiiing box 26 is a tube 27 provided with a closed end 28. A water pipe 29 extends centrally through the tube 27 to a point within the neck 20. The inner end of the tube 27 is provided with a number of short pipes 30 all bent spirally, as indicated in Fig. 4, and communicating with the tube 27 and through the medium of this tube with another pipe 31. The purpose of this arrangement is to create a circulation of water through the drum 19 which, for this purpose, is rendered hollow, as will be understood from Fig. 2. The drum normally contains water as will be understood from Figs. 2 and 3. .As the drum turns, this water is carried bodily around, and owing to the spiral form of the pipes 30 (which are stationary) is forced rapidly through these pipes and thus produces within,the tube 27 a ressure which causes the water to pass straight through this tubeV and into the pipe 31, the water beingled back by any appropriate connections through'a water cooling radiator and the pipe 29, is conducted back toward the propeller 'to a point within the threaded neck 20, and lthence works forward again through the pipes 30. The water is thus circulated continuously `through the drum 19 while the machine is in action. Moreover, the velocity of the water is comparable with the speed of the drum 19, as this drum is turned, at different rates of speed. I

Fitted into each cylinder 22 -is a piston' 32 which is provided with piston rings 33 and with ventilation holes 34, as will be understood from Fig. 2. Each-piston 32 at its outer end, has in this instance a frusto conical form and carries a circular disk 35. This disk is, by aid of pins 36 and 37 fixedly connected with the outer end of the piston. The circular disk is fashioned into a ball race and is engaged exteriorly by a number of balls 38. Surrounding these balls is a ring 39, the inner surface of which is fashioned into a ball race, the outer surface serving simply the purpose of a wheel. There are, of course, as many of these Wheels as there ncaaeae are pistons. Each wheel 89 engages a track 40 made of durable material, in this instance, iiber. This track is flxedly mounted upon the stator frame which is recessed in order to receive it, as will be understood from Fig. 2. T he general shape of the track 40 is elliptical g'that is, it has two short radii and two long' radii. The stator frame 6 is furtherv provided with a groove 41, the general form of which is elliptical. Each piston 32, adjacent to its outer end, carries a roller 42, the latter being mounted upon the pin 37 and fitting into the elliptical groove 41. rlhere are as many rollers 42 as there are pistons, each roller serving to guide and steady the piston with which it is associated, and further serving to keep the pistons along the elliptical track when starting the motor so the radial bearings will keep in the line of rotation.

The ignition chamber is shown at 43 in Fig. 3, and is provided with a hand valve 44 and also with a water jacket 45 and a spark plug 46. The operator, by opening the hand valve 44, may allow the explosion to take place in the air and thereby stop the engine or curtail its power to any desired degree should occasion arise for sodoing in case of emergency. Said water jacket forming part of same water circuit as the radiator and rotor through the necessary piping.

The intake pipe is shown at 47 in Fig. 3

`and is connected directly to the carbureter which may be of any suitable form. rlhe exhaust pipe is shown at 48, and inthis instance, opens. directly into the atmosphere. It may, however, be directly connected with a muiiier.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, at-

tention is called to the relative proportioning of the parts shown in said ligure. The several horn-shaped passages 23a are respectively ared, as shown at 23h, to such an extent that the intervening portions of the drum 19 are just suficient to span across the openings in the intake pipe 47 and exhaust pipe 48. The parts are also proportioned so that the flare of each passage 23b is just suf iicient to span the distance between the intake pipe 47 and the exhaust pipe 48. The

timing of the spark has nothing to do with my invention, and may be accomplished by any timing system suitable for the purpose. rlhe explosions all take place within the single ignition chamber 43 and are caused by the single spark plug 46. Hence, the -explosions take place one at a time, the several cylinders in succession being brought into communication with the ignition chamber and spark plug. The intake pipe 47 and exhaust pipe 48'are displaced from each other by an anle of 90 degrees; that is, each of them is displaced 45 degrees from a line extending horizontally through the center of the rotor.

by the first-named end of said casing, and a pipes extending from the inner end of `said through one end of said casing past the said l passages and terminating inside of said casing adjacent the opposite end, and discharge means adjacent the Erst-named end of said casing.

4. In a cooling construction for internal combustion engines, the combination of a casing, a conduit leading through one end of said casing and terminating inside of said casing adjacent the opposite end to supply cooling fluid thereto, a tubular body carried tube around said conduit, said pipes being bent away from the axis of said casing, the drum being rotatable with respect to the tube, whereby the conduit will supply fluid to the interior of the casing and the bent pipes discharge the same therefrom.

A6. A cooling construction for internal coinbustion engines, comprising a casing, cylinders radiating therefrom, passages connected with the inner ends of the cylinders and extending laterally therefrom into the casing ling opposite insana-3 and opening through the sides of the latter, said passages being spaced apart. from each other and outwardly from the axis of the casing, and separate means for supplying cooling fluid to and discharging it from the said casing, one-of the means consisting of a pipe extending axially of the casing and between the said passages.

7. A cooling construction for internal combustion engines, comprising a casing, cylinders radiating therefrom, passages connect ed with the inner ends of the cylinders and extending laterally therefrom into the casing and opening through the sides of the latter, said passages being spaced apart from each other and outwardlyY from the axis of the casing, and separate means for supplying cooling fluid to and discharging it from the said casing, one of the means consisting of a pipe extending axially` of the casing and betweenvthe said passages, said pipe terminating in an open end near one side of the cas` ing and the other means consisting of a plurality of pipes having tangentially-disposed receiving ends within the portion of the casfrom the open end of the first mentioned pipe, said casing and last mentioned pipe .being relatively rotatable.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.l

CHARLES LOUIS RAGOT.

Witnesses:

J. E. BOYD, J. HENRY LUDWIG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatent.

Washington, E. C. 

